Mango Carrot Cake

Since this is the first cake recipe I’m posting, it seems as fitting a time as any to explain the blog name “Put On Your Cake Pants.”

Before I moved to my current apartment, I spent two years living in a tiny studio apartment with little kitchen storage space, so I had been holding off on purchasing round cake pans, convincing myself I could make do with the other types I already had. This year, though, with my boyfriend’s birthday coming up, I really wanted to be able to bake a round layer cake. So while I was writing a list of the things I planned to pick up at the store, I mentioned that I was going to get some cake pans. My statement was met with a long pause and a bemused, borderline alarmed expression from my boyfriend. Wondering what was wrong with wanting cake pans, I asked him. He replied, “What are cake pants?!” After laughing over our miscommunication, we tried to figure out what cake pants would even mean. Pants to wear while baking cakes? Pants with a pattern of cakes printed on them? Then it came to me. My family has long joked about “buffet pants”—the type of pants with stretchy waistbands that enable you to gorge yourself comfortably at a buffet—so why not cake pants, to allow you to indulge comfortably in dessert? And lo, a blog name was born. I don’t actually bake cakes very often, since it’s more fun to bake them for a larger group of people than just the two of us, but when I do, I like to pull out all the stops.

This cake is…divine. Carrot cake has gone on a tropical vacation and it may never want to come back. The pineapple renders the cake deliciously moist, the walnuts add a nice crunch, and the mango juice adds an unexpected tangy twist. You can, of course, make a more traditional cream cheese frosting (or substitute regular butter and milk in place of the dairy-free margarine and soymilk this recipe calls for), but since I was baking this for several people who are lactose intolerant, I went the lactose-free route. You won’t regret making this cake, I guarantee it: put on your cake pants and make room for seconds.

I love the “cake pants” story! Actually, “cake pants” made perfect sense to me before I read the story – they’re kind of like thick painter’s pants you put on when you’re about to start a really messy cake recipe. How has the world gone so long without these??!

I always figured cake pants where what you put on when you’re about to get serious about eating some cake. I have a few eating dresses for just this reason, e.g., “We’re going for sushi? Better put on my eatin’ dress.”

Ahh…hahahaha!! I love that…. that sounds like a conversation that I would have!! You have me laughing at my desk at 8:35 in the morning… the best way to start off a Monday. I’m so happy I stopped by. I was actually looking to see if I could find your real name…. I was going to respond to your lovely comment on my blog, and I always like to use a person’s name. And I thought…”I’ve never really found out what CakePants real name is…” which brought me to your About page, which brought me to here… This is truly fitting. <3 I'll be chuckling about this all day, yeah…just because I have that goofy sense of humor! And this cake? Beautiful. Delicious. Printing the recipe. You're the kind of girl that I love to blame for my big hips. <3 😉

Ha ha ha…I got your blog name the second I read it, because it makes perfect sense to a cake lover! The story behind it is adorable, and your recipe looks fantastically delicious, so I’m gonna try it when I feel like cheating on my keto diet, and I will savor every single carby bite! I usually make myself a raspberry coconut cake on my birthday (my boys don’t like coconut, which is ridiculous!) so this will be ALL mine!😋

Thanks so much, Heather! I’m glad there are other people who just “get” what cake pants are. I’ve made this cake countless times – my friends and family are crazy about it! I hope you love it just as much as we do 🙂

I love your mango carrot cake. I used almond milk beacause that is the one i have and it came out great !
I shared it with friends and baked one as a present. They all love it!
Thanks for sharing your recipes with us.
You are awesome!
I will try to make your recipe of Chocolate Snack Cake and Cherry Pie French Toast Casserole next

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Hi there! I'm Mara, a semi-vegetarian home cook with a serious sweet tooth and a penchant for flavorful yet unfussy recipes. Originally from California, I'm currently living in Michigan for grad school. Read more...